apadopoulos?"

"Friend!" I cried. "She is to be my wife. I am in a state of horror and
despair. Tell me what has happened."

Seeing my condition, he laid aside his official manner and became human.
It was a dreadful accident, said he. The beast had apparently got its
claws in near her eyes; but what were her exact injuries he could not
tell, as her face was all over blood and she had fainted with the pain.
The doctor was with her. He had telephoned for an ambulance. I was to be
quite certain that she would receive every possible attention. He would
give my card to the doctor. Meanwhile I was quite at liberty to remain
in the box till the ambulance came. I thanked him.

"In the meantime," said I, "if you can let me have a word with Fraulein
Dawkins, her maid, should she be in the theatre, or Quast her attendant,
I should be grateful."

He promised and withdrew. The doorkeeper gave me a wooden chair, and
there I sat for an unconscionable time, faint and dizzy with suspense.
The chance words I had heard in the crowd, the manager's remark about
the claws, the memory of the savage spring at the beloved face made me
feel sick. Every now and then, as some doors leading to the stage swung
open, I could hear the orchestra and the laughter and applause of
the audience. Both Dawkins and Quast visited me. The former was in a
helpless state of tears and hand-wringing. As she knew no word of German
she could understand nothing that the doctors or others said. Madame was
unconscious. Her head was tightly bandaged. That was all the definite
information she had.

"Did Madame know I was in front to-night?" I asked.

"Oh, yes, sir! I think she had a letter from you. She was so pleased,
poor dear Madame. She told me that you would see the best performance
she had ever given."

Whereupon she broke down and was useless for further examination. Then
Quast came. He could not understand how the accident had occurred.
Hephaestus had never before tried to attack her. She had absolute
mastery over him, and he usually behaved with her as gently as any of
the other cats. With himself it was quite different. He was accustomed
to Hephaestus springing at him; but then he beat him hard with a great
stick until he was so sore that he could neither stand up nor lie down.

"I have always implored Madame to carry something heavier than that
silly little whip, and now it's all over. She will never be able to
control him again. Hephaestus will have t